Tasha Spillett’s graphic novel debut, Surviving the City, is a story about womanhood, friendship, colonialism, and the anguish of a missing loved one. Miikwan and Dez are best friends. Miikwan is Anishinaabe; Dez is Inninew. Together, the teens navigate the challenges of growing up in an urban landscape – they’re so close, they even completed their Berry Fast together. However, when Dez’s grandmother becomes too sick, Dez is told she can’t stay with her anymore. With the threat of a group home looming, Dez can’t bring herself to go home and disappears. Miikwan is devastated, and the wound of her missing mother resurfaces. Will Dez’s community find her before it’s too late? Will Miikwan be able to cope if they don’t? Reviews and Endorsements: "Centering the strong hearts of Indigenous women and girls and shattering racist assumptions, Surviving the City is a beautiful, uncompromising honour song to those of us that not only survive the urban, but navigate through it with the courage of our Ancestors." - Leanne Betasamosake Simpson, author of This Accident of Being Lost CBC Books' The Best Canadian comics of 2018 https://www.cbc.ca/books/the-best-canadian-comics-of-2018-1.4944651 — CBC Books, December 2018 Tasha Spillett, who is Nehiyaw and Trinidadian, tells the story through the girls' dialogue and text messages – featuring Indigenous words and references to traditional practices – allowing readers to be continually immersed in their world. Metis artist Natasha Donovan's full-colour illustrations stand out in this field of graphic novels, with pale-blue ghostly figures representing missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, as well as darker, hollow-eyed male figures who symbolize the constant threats to women. In these haunting images, the girls' personal drama plays out within the larger struggle of Canada's Indigenous women. — Joanne Findon, Quill & Quire, March 2019 Tasha Spillett writes with the kind of raw voice that Indigenous girls deserve to hear. Surviving the City takes the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and two-spirit, and she brings that to life in a story that doesn't just focus on MMIWG2S. I think what I really admire about Surviving the City is that Spillett is able to tell the story of two girls, Miikwan (Anishinaabe) and Dez (Inninew), just being girls while living in a world that just can't handle Indigenous girls getting to enjoy their lives and their culture. Miikwan and Dez are living their lives, while also dealing with a sick grandmother, a missing mother, and the looming fear of not being allowed to live at home due to government interference. Miikwan and Dez are trying to do the things they love, while also having to deal with the racist misogyny that all Indigenous women have to face. Surviving the City is a painful read, but it's also incredibly uplifting and touching at times. I think this is why it struck me the way it did. I never felt like Miikwan and Dez were the vehicles for a story they were barely a part of. They were incredible characters who felt like the real people who deal with these issues, largely in part because the story isn't just about their issues. It is also about their love for each other and their families and their cultures. The art here is absolutely lovely, and it did a lot to make this story feel more real to me. The background scenery is lovely, but I especially love the design of Miikwan and Dez. I definitely recommend this one. The story highlights real issues that everyone should know about, without entirely being about those issues. This is evocative and touching. The extra information included at the end is vital for anyone looking for the stats that lead to the creation of stories like this one. I'll be watching out for more work from both Tasha Spillett and Natasha Donovan in the future. — Elizabeth Kolar, NetGalley, November 2018 About the Authors: Tasha Spillett (she/her/hers) draws her strength from her Nehiyaw and Trinidadian bloodlines. She is a celebrated educator, poet, and emerging scholar. Tasha is most heart-tied to community-led work that centres on land and water defence and the protection of Indigenous women and girls. Tasha is working on her PhD in Education (University of Saskatchewan) and holds a Vanier Canada Award. Natasha Donovan (she/her/hers) is a self-taught illustrator from Vancouver, British Columbia. She has a degree in Anthropology from the University of British Columbia. Before starting out as a freelance artist, she worked in publishing at the University of Victoria. Her sequential work has been published in the Other Side Anthology. Natasha is a member of the Métis Nation of British Columbia. She lives in Bellingham, Washington. |